How To Install A Salt System
The installation of the cell, control box and flow switch should be easy enough for any system if you follow the instructions inthe user guide. Be sure to double check that you are providing the correct power (120v or 240v) to the control box.
Also double check that the arrow on the flow meter is installed as per the direction of travel for the water in your system. Be sure to follow safe electrical practices and have your salt water system properly bonded and hooked up by a licensed electrician.
Once you have completed these steps you can proceed to adding salt to the pool. Do not add salt in through the skimmer of the pool as this can cause damage to the pump, filter, heater and salt generator. Salt should be added slowly into the deep end of the pool and you should use a pool bruch and pole to brush down the entire pool floor surface to prevent damage from salt sitting on the floor.
How Much Salt To Add To The Pool?
The amount of salt that you add will be determined from the salt and pool size chart that comes with all new salt water systems. Many people assume a starting point of zero is what you have when determining how much salt the pool will need. The ideal range for most pool salt water systems is around 3000ppm.
Source water and existing swimming pool water can be as much as 500-1000ppm of salt to begin with and if you do not account for this you can easily end up adding too much salt to the pool. Too much salt can potentially cause damage to the salt generator system, and can cause long term damage to the pool equipment if the salt level is left too high for long periods of time.
Adding Salt To Concrete Pools
Vinyl pools and fiberglass pools can have salt added at any time without problem. For concrete pools the plaster or marbelite interior surface finish must be at least 1 month old before adding salt as this can cause staining and pitting of the no fully cured concrete surface.
For hot tubs and spas it is possible to have a chlorine alternative and use a bromine salt water system on your spa.
Salt Water Chlorinator Professional Install Tips
The following article is by Steve Goodale, owner of Green Pools and author of many online resources for swimming pool and hot tub owners. If you are considering switching over to salt water in your pool or spa this expert review of salt water chlorine generators will be very helpful.
Which Chlorine Generator Is Best
There are many salt water chlorination systems on the market for swimming pools and spas and all of them work on the same principal of separating sodium from chlorine via electricity applied through a salt water solution. The first thing you need to do is read about the salt water systems available in your area like the Aqua Rite system by Hayward and the Zodiac salt water system as well as the Pentair Intelli-touch system. It would be recommended to read reviews on these systems before purchasing one to make sure that you are getting a reliable and relatively trouble freeze sanitizer system for your pool.
Mount The Control Board
The first step is to install control board which is the main brain of your system. You will need to install this in the same location that you have your pump and filter installed. It would be a good idea to leave access in front of the control box as you will need to interact with it on occasion to change the settings or to troubleshoot the system.
Run Electrical Supply Circuit
The next step is to run the electrical supply wiring to the control box. Be sure to read whether you need to provide GFCI protected power from the unit that you purchased. You may also want to check with the local electrical authority in your area to be sure that your installation meets all minimum electrical safety distances and requirements. Usually these salt water systems will work on 120 or 240 volt supply lines and generally these must be dedicated circuits. This information will be in the installation and user manual for the system that you purchase.
Installing The Flow Switch
Next you will need to install the flow switch in the plumbing system. The point of the flow switch is to detect whether the system has flow or not. The salt system will not (should not) turn on when the pump is not running to prevent overheating and failure of the system. If the cell continued to create chlorine without the plumbing system running this could cause failure of the unit, or much more serious damage and danger. By installing a flow switch which is usually provided with the system the salt generator will turn itself off when it detects that the pool pump has turned off. The flow switch connects to the main control board of your system and the other end into the plumbing system. Be sure to observe direction when you install this switch as it is directional sensitive. You must also install the flow switch in such a way that is has clear and unrestricted flow on both side of it. As a general rule install the flow switch in a length of straight pipe where you have 4 times the pipe diameter after the switch and 10 times the pipe diameter before the switch. A system with 2" plumbing lines would need 20" in front and 8" after the switch to operate properly.
Installing The Salt Water Cell
The final step of the actual system installation is to install the chlorine generation cell. This also gets installed into the plumbing system of the pool usually in the proximity of the flow switch. It is critically important that the cell be installed downstream of all components such as the pump and the filter, but especially the heater. If you install a chlorine generation cell in front of a heater you will void the heater warranty and break the heater beyond repair after just a short period of time. It is even recommended to put a one way check valve in between the heater and the salt system to be certain that no chlorine can make it back into the heater.
Adding Salt To The Pool
The final step in installing a new salt water pool chlorinator is to add salt to the pool. The amount of salt that you need will be detailed in the installation instructions for the system that you have purchased. Likely the ideal salt amount will be 3000 ppm but it is important to have your source water tested for salt as some houses will have 500-1000 ppm of salt directly from the tap. If this is the case then you need to account for this when determining the amount of salt to add to your swimming pool. The salt should be added slowly to the deep end and you should brush the entire pool surface down after adding salt to avoid it sitting for intended periods of time undiluted. If the pool is a concrete pool then it must be a minimum of 30 days old before adding salt as this can damage the plaster finish of the pool.